The snowdrifts that have begun are disrupting train traffic, 
which threatens the gravest calamities in the sphere of food supply 
and military operations. Meanwhile, the clearing of tracks of snow is 
not being carried out with the necessary energy. Despite telegraphic 
directives, local Soviet authorities are not everywhere deploying the 
necessary labor force. In view of this, the Council of Workers' and 
Peasants' Defense decrees:

1) Upon the personal responsibility of the chairmen of village, 
volost, and district Committees of the Poor, Soviets of Peasants' 
Deputies, and Executive Committees falls the duty to deploy the 
necessary labor force for clearing the tracks upon the first demand of 
the railway or military authorities. Non-fulfillment of requirements 
shall be punished by imprisonment from 1 month to 2 years and a 
monetary fine in the amount of six months' wages.

2) No exceptions and no excuses whatsoever are permitted: labor 
obligation for snow removal is equated with military conscription.

3) Volost and district Military Commissars are obligated, in case 
of necessity, to come to the aid with armed force against kulaks 
and White Guards who are inciting the local population to refuse to 
carry out the orders for clearing the tracks.

4) With regard to all further demands addressed to local Soviet 
authorities, the present decree of the Council of Defense must be 
brought to their attention.

Chairman of the Council of Defense V. Lenin.

December 25, 1918.
Moscow, the Kremlin.

¹ This decree was occasioned by a telegram from Vladimirov concerning the necessary clearing of tracks of snow. The Council of Defense on this matter adopted the following resolution: "In the event of receiving information about the failure of the population of surrounding villages and hamlets to turn out for work on snow clearance on the railways, place responsibility for this on the corresponding volosts, Soviets of Peasants' Deputies, and Committees of the Poor, which are not displaying sufficient energy in a matter upon whose success depends the delivery of food supplies, fuel, and troops. Accept no excuses about insufficient wages or payment in kind. Instruct Lenin to publish this by telegraph." On this basis, the editorial board believes that the author of the published decree is Lenin (Protocol No. 8 of the session of the Council of Workers' and Peasants' Defense of December 25, 1918, p. 7). Printed from the text of "Izvestiya VTsIK" No. 285, of December 27, 1918.